Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast with Zack Oates
Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast is your backstage pass to the minds of hospitality leaders, innovators, and operators who are redefining what it means to serve. Hosted by Zack Oates, founder of Ovation, each episode dives into real-world tactics and inspiring stories from restaurant pros who know how to create five-star guest experiences—both in-store and off-premise.
From fast casual to fine dining, catering to curbside, learn how to drive loyalty, empower your staff, and deliver hospitality that hits home. Whether you're a restaurant owner, operator, marketer, or tech partner, this podcast will leave you with practical insights and plenty of reasons to celebrate and Give an Ovation.
Episodes
402 episodes
Using Feedback to Stay Competitive with Gregory Zamfotis of Gregorys Coffee
Gregorys Coffee is everywhere right now, and founder and CEO Gregory Zamfotis joins Zack to talk about what it really takes to scale a coffee brand without losing its soul. From mall food courts to multi market growth with Craveworthy Brands, G...
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27:45
Building Tech that Serves People with Brianne Harvey of Break Bread Consulting
Zack Oates sits down with Brianne Harvey, founder and CEO of Break Bread Consulting, to talk about tech that lifts hospitality without getting in the way. Brianne shares how to “bolt on” experts for system launches, train your team to own it, a...
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18:10
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Connection Over Perfection with Kayla Dillon
Zack sits down with Kayla Dillon, fractional CMO and brand consultant, to talk about why guest expectations have shifted from hospitality to humanity. Kayla explains how to pick technology that fits, set it up the right way, and connect ops, ma...
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17:04
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Empower Your Team, Elevate Your Guests with Geoffrey Toffetti of Frontline Performance Group
Zack sits down with Geoffrey Toffetti, CEO of Frontline Performance Group, to talk about why the guest experience can never exceed the employee experience. Geoffrey explains how clear standards, consistent measurement, and coachable behaviors t...
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17:04
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Founder Spirit to Scalable Systems with Peter Gaudreau of Tacodeli
Zack sits down with Peter Gaudreau, CEO of Tacodeli, to talk about scaling a beloved founder-led brand while protecting what matters most. Peter shares how ingredient integrity, empowered managers, and thoughtful packaging make hospitality show...
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19:31
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From Brand DNA to Guest Love with Melissa Richards-Person of Third Arm Consulting
Zack sits down with Melissa Richards-Person of Third Arm Consulting to unpack brand DNA and why it is the root of lasting guest experience. From Papa John’s transformation to creating signature moments guests remember, Melissa shares how clear ...
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21:48
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Bringing Brazilian Flavor to NYC with Pedro Uchôa of TAP
Zack sits down with Pedro Uchôa, founder and CEO of TAP, the Brazilian fast casual bringing bold flavor and genuine hospitality to New York and Miami. They discuss TAP’s Perfect Pitch win, the importance of culture-driven leadership, and how sm...
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16:09
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Detect, Then Train: Rachael Nemeth of Opus Training on AI Interventions that Stick
Zack Oates sits down with Rachael Nemeth, CEO of Opus Training, to talk about turning frontline training into real-time performance. Rachael explains why most brands don’t have a completion problem — they have an adoption problem — and how Opus...
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18:11
From Fast Food to Full-Service Success with Jay Bandy at Goliath Consulting Group
Restaurant value is not a price point. It is the experience. In this episode, Zack sits down with Jay Bandy, President at Goliath Consulting Group, to unpack what guests really buy and how teams can deliver it consistently. With nearly four dec...
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19:05
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The Eye In The Sky That Isn't Creepy with Savi's Brock Weeks
Zack Oates welcomes Brock Weeks, CEO of Savi, to talk about using AI to measure and improve in-store guest experiences. Brock explains how Savi transforms existing security footage into actionable insights that help operators understand consist...
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16:49
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Arjun Sen of ZenMango on Earning the Second Visit, One Guest at a Time
Zack Oates welcomes Arjun Sen, marketing executive, speaker, author of Unquiet Forever, and founder of ZenMango. Arjun shares how brands win by owning the feeling of each moment and wowing one more guest at a time. He breaks down first...
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23:26
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James Bonanno of Upstream Hospitality on The Power of Fast Feedback
Zack Oates sits down with James Bonanno, Founder and CEO of Upstream Hospitality Group, to talk about building strong operations, developing A-player leaders, and delivering five-star guest experiences across 20+ locations. From Tap Room to Ban...
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16:22
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Eric Knott of Tiki Taco on Turning Feedback into Action
Eric Knott, CEO of Tiki Taco and former PDQ leader, joins Zack Oates to talk about scaling hospitality, refining menu strategy, and building genuine guest connections. With experience ranging from Outback to Tiki Taco, Eric shares how structure...
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17:53
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Building a Fierce Yet Friendly Brand with Amanda Kahalehoe of Vicious Biscuit
From Charleston roots to a growing national footprint, Amanda Kahalehoe has built a brand that’s both fierce and warm. As COO of Vicious Biscuit, she shares how her team balances bold, indulgent food with genuine Southern hospitality. Amanda an...
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18:24
How Haven Hot Chicken Builds Loyalty with Jason Sobocinski
Jason Sobocinski joins Zack Oates to share how Haven Hot Chicken builds lasting guest love through great food, consistent hospitality, and small gestures that surprise and delight. From “reverse tipping” cards to weekly community drop-offs, Jas...
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20:16
Paul Damico of Global Franchise Group on What Really Drives Traffic
Paul Damico joins Zack Oates to share what still wins guest loyalty today. His take is simple: nail the four walls first, then scale. With leadership across Blaze, Fuzzy’s, Global Franchise Group, Focus Brands, and Moe’s Southwest Grill, Paul e...
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19:19
John Laun of Earthbar on Using AI and Feedback to Elevate Guests
John Laun, CMO of Earthbar, joins Zack Oates to share how a wellness brand with roots in the 1970s is scaling nationally while keeping guest experience front and center. With over 60 locations and a strong partnership with Equinox, Earthbar foc...
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22:59
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Why Guest Experience Starts with GMs, with Justin Falciola of Deliverect
Justin Falciola, President of the Americas at Deliverect, joins Zack Oates to explore how technology and hospitality can work hand in hand. With leadership experience at Papa John’s and CKE, Justin has seen the restaurant industry from both the...
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19:40
From Football Field to Franchise Growth: Mark Moseley at Five Guys
From NFL MVP to franchise powerhouse, Mark Moseley has done it all. After a legendary 16-year career as the Washington Commanders’ clutch kicker and the only special teams player to ever win MVP, Mark went on to help grow Five Guys from just 3 ...
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17:12
How Drew Kimball of SpotOn Builds Loyalty Through Service and Tech
Drew Kimball, Relationship Manager at SpotOn, joins Zack Oates to talk about what it really takes to build lasting relationships in hospitality. With over 15 years in B2B sales and a background in restaurants, Drew shares stories from his work ...
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17:02
Live from the National Restaurant Association Show
Zach takes the Ovation mic to the streets of Chicago for a special edition of the Two Question Podcast, recorded live at the National Restaurant Association Show. From tech innovators to restaurant operators, leaders across the industry answer ...
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27:07
From Gas Stations to 3,400 Units: Alice Crowder at Krispy Krunchy Chicken
Alice Crowder, CMO of Krispy Krunchy Chicken, joins Zack Oates to break down how the brand grew to nearly 3,400 locations without traditional franchising. From gas stations to guest experience strategy, Alice shares how high-quality food, grass...
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19:09
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Michael Lukianoff of SignalFlare on Using AI to Drive Smarter Restaurant Strategy
Michael Lukianoff, CEO of SignalFlare, joins Zack Oates to unpack the restaurant industry's biggest data challenges and opportunities. From AI-driven decision-making to understanding local market dynamics, Michael explains how restaurants can s...
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16:59
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Russ Hawkins of Agilence on Using Data to Improve Guest Experience
Russ Hawkins, CEO of Agilence, joins Zack Oates to break down how restaurant operators can use data to improve guest experience, boost loyalty, and align teams. With a background spanning telecom, retail, and hospitality, Russ shares practical ...
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14:02
Serving Hospitality for 75 Years: Ralph Lewis of Okeechobee Steakhouse
Ralph Lewis, CEO and third-generation owner of Okeechobee Steakhouse, joins Zack Oates to share the secrets behind one of Florida’s most iconic dining institutions. From 75 years of legacy service to 350,000 free birthday steaks, Ralph dives in...
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16:31
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